Fat Tony

The biggest problem I see with Caulfield (and Casey) as training options is that they are very open and susceptible to wind. This is not ideal for training at the top level given that wind is not a big factor at AFL stadiums. It is hard to run full ground ball movement drills when there is a gale blowing. I also don't really think the current situation using both Casey and Gosh's Paddock really puts us at a big disadvantage from a performance perspective. We have access to two pristine grounds, pools, spas and gyms. What else do you really need to train an elite athlete? (The other keys being medical, diet and film review but they don't require capital investment.) Casey would be better if we could get some cover and it was closer to the city, but it is it really worth spending so much money to build another Casey Fields closer to the CBD? As for the argument that we have to cater for four teams now, I would say that the seasons are not all aligned and the AFL team is the only one of those teams that is fully professional (and they train in the morning, while the other teams train in the afternoon). Personally, I think the biggest reason AFL clubs demand all this money being spent is so that they can show off their facilities to attract free agents/recruits. The government money would be much better spent going back into grass roots football (or other departments like healthcare/education). Lastly, as for the fans wanting a social club, I think that social clubs are a thing of the past. There are plenty of bars in and around the MCG to celebrate a win and the best place to converse with other MFC supporters is obviously here on Demonland.

I would bring in Kossie, Hunter & Turner for Tholstrup, Salem & Brown. Windsor to shift to half back in place of Salem and Hunter to come in on the left wing. Kossie for Tholstrup is straight forward. Turner could play at either end. If he plays back, Rivers would play in the midfield, and we have a taller defence. (Sparrow and Petracca play more minutes forward.) If Turner play forwards, it is straight forward in place of Brown. Woewodin the poor old sub again.

I think he can turn his body but he needs to still watch the ball.

Put 2021 instead!

Salem being able to run just over a week after doing a hamstring is a good sign.

Petty typically provides average pressure for a key forward but he’s had a limited preseason so I think he’s down a bit in that regard this season. Brown is all offence. He needs 3 goals per game to be a positive.

I thought Hunter did nothing wrong last year. He was only just second to a loose ball and pulled up and turned to protect himself at the last minute. As soon as Hunter realised he was going to collide with a kamikaze Rozee, he decelerated. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time IMO. I felt what Butters did was worse because, while he was seemingly going for the ball, he accelerated into the contest knowing Banfield was wide open and that he would likely collect him if he missed the ball. Both these incidents are tough to find the right balance though. We have a 360 degree contact sport with an odd shaped ball and we love seeing collisions (but not concussions). They clearly need to change the rules of the Brownlow because it is obviously part a thinking in the mind of the MRO.

They play on Anzac Eve, which works better from a MFC perspective.

Yze is the enemy now!

I agree that Oliver should not be played at half back. My main issue with Oliver in the midfield is the centre clearances.

It depends if playing makes Oliver's injury worse. Oliver is still giving more than Woewodin and Tholstup.

I agree that the issue is in the middle. Will Oliver's injury improve over the break? If it does not, I would definitely be playing Rivers as a centre midfielder, even if it causes further instability in the back half. We need to do better at clearance and Oliver is a liability with only one hand. (I would probably still play him if we are convinced it won't make the injury worse, but as a high half forward.) And the issue with Brown and Petty is not just a last night thing. The lack of pressure from Brown, Petty, JVR and Fritsch means we can only play three IMO.

With Salem and Bowey out and Hunter hopefully fit, I would explore pushing Windsor to half back to fill the high half back role and play Hunter/Langdon on the wings. Let's see how Hunter goes tomorrow and see if he is AFL ready. Windsor has the ingredients to play this role and his pace could be even more advantage at half back. Woewodin looks better suited in the forward line and is not really quick enough or skilled enough to play the Bowey/Salem role. Would Woewodin be a better option up forward than Tholstrup at this stage. I think probably yes, but it is marginal. I don't think Clarrie can play in the centre bounce until he gets his hand right. He is just a liability at the moment. Rivers did a good job in there and we need to explore that a bit more. If Rivers is designated more midfield minutes, AMW or Turner could be options to play in the backline. Let's see how Turner goes tomorrow and see if he is AFL ready. Brown has had 7 and 2 pressure acts in the last two games. He is a witches hat unless he marks the ball and really needs to kick at least 3 goals a game to be accretive. So far this year Brown has had two very good games (WB and Port) and three very poor ones (Hawthorn, Adelaide and Brisbane). I think we need to go smaller in the forward line and rely on Petty, JVR and Fritch as forward targets because our game relies on pressure. Tholstrup got a tough introduction but, with 17 pressure acts, he was equal 5th for us in that stat last night. This is a good sign for the future. Kossie will obviously be back.

The 2021 game plan of hugging the boundary and making the ground small (which got worked out by the opposition in the back end of 2022) did not really suit Brown's game because there was not a lot of space to lead and we move the ball slowly. It really only worked consistently at the back end of 2021 when our midfield was on fire and Brown was holding his marks. The 2023/24 game plan is more dual sided and gives Brown more space. But I think Brown was injured a lot last year and also we tried to use Gawn/Grundy in the forward line, which meant less space. We could not have both Gawn/Grundy and Brown forward because it was no good from a forward pressure perspective. Having JVR as the second ruck option means that Brown's poor pressure is covered to some extent.

Is there going to be another eclipse on Saturday Picket?

Salem has lost his drive. Lacks acceleration and kicking penetration.

The deeper forward press could be deliberate or personnel. We are playing a taller forward line this year with less pressure players. Brown, Petty, Fritsch and Billings don't have the same ability to apply pressure as Smith, Melksham and Spargo. So a deeper zone could be due to who is playing and who is injured, rather than being a desired tactical decision. I still think Goodwin wants to play a similar high press to last year but we have not had the cattle this year and our midfield has been beaten more often.

I didn’t say we’ve been playing a forward half game. But that we’re trying to.

I think we have tried to play a forward half game this year. We’re winning due to the backline being so strong and our efficiency but I don’t think it’s by intention.

I contend we made that change last year. In 2022 we used a near identical plan to 2021. But in 2023 we were much bolder and used both sides of the ground, especially early on, when we had fit key forwards. This was partly due to having two genuine wingman with Hunter coming across.

Goodwin has been saying that he is not happy with the amount of territory we have been conceding. We had very good efficient wins against the Dogs, Swans and Eagles last year, which looked similar to 2024. The big change in style we made was the start of last year when we started using both sides of the ground when attacking from the backline.

I still think Goodwin wants to play a forward half game and that the game plan is very similar to 2023. We have just been beaten in the midfield more often this year and we have kicked very accurately. This means that instead of getting repeat entries, which are usually inferior entries into a more crowded forward line, so the ball has been going back to the centre more often. Plus our forward pressure has also been average due to Brown and Petty both being in the forward line (and Kossie missing against Sydney). The Swans midfield beat us in the contest in greasy conditions which did not suit Gawn (and favoured Grundy) and also worked against our unskilled bulls. Against the Dogs, the midfield was even and the Dogs transitioned the ball better than we would have liked from the back half but were poor going inside 50. We killed Hawthorn in the centre and the game was effectively over by quarter time. Port's midfield beat us but our defence held strong. The Crows midfield beat us and our defence held strong/they fluffed their chances. A lot of losing in the midfield battles comes down to being fixtured against three elite midfields (Sydney, Dogs and Port) but it also is due to Oliver being injured in the last two weeks. I think we will see a reversion to the 2023 model as the sample size increases, especially if Oliver recovers and we can get on top of some of the poorer/more average midfields.

This will be a close game. Our form is not quite as strong as it looks and our last four wins have been big overs on Expected Score and we have lost the inside 50s in the last two weeks. We won't want to lose the territory battle again this week because Daniher and Hipwood have a height advantage and Cameron is a nightmare matchup. I would start with Oliver on Neale at stoppages, especially in the centre. Oliver is struggling with his hand and Neale is key for the Lions' midfield. We really need a better performance from Clarrie in the clearances to beat Brisbane IMO. Kossie is a big out, especially given the poor forward pressure we are are getting from Brown. Petty has been average in this regard too this season off the back of limited preseason and Fritsch doesn't ever like getting his hands too dirty. These weaknesses have been covered by our superior efficiency over the last month. If we win the midfield battle, I doubt the Lions can play well enough to transition the ball through our defensive system enough times. That said, we have not been as strong defensively all over the ground this year and have relied on our back six to defend too much this year.

Definitely has the hands and decision making in tight, so he will be a centre bounce player when he gets enough muscle.